Teachers can engage students in discussions or answer questions about the material, she said.

Students also take turns reading out loud, allowing them to work on their pronunciation — an especially important learning tool at Rea, she added.

Rea's students are predominately Latino, with 87% English as a second-language learners, said Principal Anna Corral.

State standardized test reports show that, in reading, students at Rea have lagged behind their grade-level peers at other district schools.

For example, nearly half of second-grade students at Rea, or 45%, achieved a "basic" level in English language arts testing compared with about a quarter, or 24%, of second-graders who scored "basic" across the district, according to 2010 STAR test data from the state Department of Education.

In contrast, only 13% of second-graders at Rea tested "proficient" in language arts — the next level up from "basic" — but 33% of second-graders districtwide were proficient in the subject.

Reading is a high priority at Rea, and the book donations will only help the school achieve its academic goals, she said.

"It encourages them to read when they have books they like to read," she said.